{"id":2406800,"date":"2025-02-26T07:31:01","date_gmt":"2025-02-26T12:31:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/supreme-court-to-hear-reverse-discrimination-case-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2025-02-26T07:34:52","modified_gmt":"2025-02-26T12:34:52","slug":"supreme-court-to-hear-reverse-discrimination-case-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/supreme-court-to-hear-reverse-discrimination-case-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Supreme Court to hear reverse discrimination case &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fsupreme-court-to-hear-reverse-discrimination-case-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2406800&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The Supreme Court is set too here oral arguments in the case of\u200b **Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth \u200dServices**, which has notable implications for \u200cworkplace \u2062diversity,\u2063 equity,\u200b and \u200dinclusion (DEI) policies. The case centers\u2062 around the &#8220;background circumstances&#8221; rule, \u2062which currently imposes a higher burden on white and heterosexual employees when claiming discrimination compared to historically \u200dmarginalized groups. Marlean\u2063 Ames, a former \u200cemployee, argues that\u200b she experienced\u200b discrimination when \u200bpassed over for\u200c promotion \u2063in favor of less-qualified gay\u2063 employees. Her claims were dismissed by lower courts, citing\u200b this \u2062background rule.<\/p>\n<p>Several \u200dcircuit courts do not apply this rule, creating inconsistency across the legal \u200dlandscape. Ames contends that\u200b the rule unjustly hampers majority-group plaintiffs, while the Ohio Department of Youth Services defends it as a critical means of fairly evaluating discrimination claims. Advocates for Ames argue that discrimination against majority \u200bgroups is increasingly prevalent under DEI \u2063initiatives, whereas \u200copponents, \u200d<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nazi-in-its-ranks-ramaswamy-slimes-ukraines-jewish-leader-as-nazi\/\" title=\"&#039;Nazi in Its Ranks&#039;: Ramaswamy Slimes Ukraine&#039;s Jewish Leader as Nazi\">including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/senate-confirms-americas-first-native-american-cabinet-secretary\/\" title=\"Senate Confirms America\u2019s First Native American Cabinet Secretary\">civil rights organizations<\/a><\/a>, warn\u200c that \u200ddismantling the\u2062 rule could \u2063undermine efforts to\u200c address systemic inequalities.\u2062 A ruling favoring Ames \u2063could simplify the process for nonminority employees to bring discrimination claims\u200b and challenge DEI practices, <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">furthering ongoing \u2064legal debates\u200b surrounding race<\/a>, gender, and workplace\u2064 discrimination.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Supreme Court hears reverse discrimination case with implications for DEI<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tpd-featured-video\">\n<div id=\"Brid_24824\" class=\"brid\" style=\"width:1280;height:720;\"> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/supreme-court\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Supreme Court<\/a> will hear oral arguments Wednesday in a case that could significantly affect workplace <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/dei\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">diversity, equity, and inclusion<\/a> policies and expand legal avenues for white and heterosexual employees to sue for discrimination.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>The eventual ruling in the case,&nbsp;<em>Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services<\/em>, could determine whether so-called reverse discrimination claims should be evaluated under the same standards as those brought by historically marginalized groups.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is the legal issue before the Supreme Court?<\/h2>\n<p>At the heart of the case is the&nbsp;&ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/ogletree.com\/insights-resources\/blog-posts\/dei-under-scrutiny-part-iv-could-the-background-circumstances-rule-for-discrimination-be-primed-for-supreme-court-review\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">background circumstances&rdquo; rule<\/a>, a legal test used by some federal courts when majority-group plaintiffs, such as white or straight employees, bring discrimination claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This rule requires these plaintiffs to prove that their employer is &ldquo;that unusual employer who discriminates against the majority.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Marlean Ames, a former Ohio Department of Youth Services employee and plaintiff in the case, argues that the rule makes it significantly harder for white and straight workers to bring discrimination lawsuits. Ames claims she was passed over for a promotion and later demoted in favor of less-qualified gay employees, a complaint that was rejected by two lower courts beneath the highest.<\/p>\n<p>Ames sued in the Southern District of Ohio, but her case was dismissed for failing to meet the background circumstances rule. The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals <a href=\"https:\/\/www.opn.ca6.uscourts.gov\/opinions.pdf\/23a0264p-06.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">upheld<\/a> the dismissal, acknowledging her discrimination claim was plausible since she was demoted and replaced by gay employees but ruling that she failed to meet the extra burden required for majority-group plaintiffs.<\/p>\n<p>However, several other circuit courts have chosen not to apply the background circumstances rule in discrimination cases, creating a split beckoning the nine justices to bring clarity to the issue. The Supreme Court is now set to resolve a circuit split on whether the background circumstances rule should remain in place during an oral argument hearing at 10 a.m. local time.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How does this case relate to the Supreme Court&rsquo;s recent rulings on discrimination?<\/h2>\n<p>The case marks another major fight over discrimination since the Supreme Court&rsquo;s landmark 2023 ruling in&nbsp;<em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/2578872\/supreme-court-bans-affirmative-action-in-ruling-against-race-conscious-college-admissions-2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard\/UNC<\/a><\/em>, which struck down race-based <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/affirmative-action\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">affirmative action<\/a> in college admissions as a violation of the 14th Amendment&rsquo;s equal protection clause.<\/p>\n<p>That decision held that eliminating discrimination means eliminating it entirely, a principle Ames and her supporters argue should apply equally to employment law.<\/p>\n<p>The&nbsp;Equal Protection Project, led by&nbsp;<em>Legal Insurrection<\/em>&nbsp;founder William Jacobson, argues in an amicus brief that &ldquo;reverse discrimination is no longer unusual; it is unfortunately alive and well.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.supremecourt.gov\/DocketPDF\/23\/23-1039\/335287\/20241216154337066_No.%2023-1039%20Amicus%20Brief.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">brief<\/a> states that discrimination against white and straight employees has become &ldquo;ubiquitous,&rdquo; particularly under corporate DEI initiatives, and should not be subject to a higher legal burden.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What are the arguments supporting Ames?<\/h2>\n<p>Ames and her supporters argue that the background circumstances rule unfairly places a higher burden on majority-group plaintiffs, making it harder for them to challenge workplace discrimination. <\/p>\n<p>America First Legal, which has filed numerous lawsuits against DEI policies, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.supremecourt.gov\/DocketPDF\/23\/23-1039\/335243\/20241216141110870_Amicus%20Brief%20-%20FINAL%20-%20PDFA.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">argues<\/a> that &ldquo;nothing in Title VII supports a higher burden for &lsquo;majority&rsquo; employees who claim discrimination.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What are the arguments against Ames?<\/h2>\n<p>The Ohio Department of Youth Services defends the background circumstances test as a necessary tool for evaluating discrimination claims fairly. The department warns that eliminating this requirement could open the floodgates to a surge of lawsuits challenging diversity policies and could complicate efforts to enforce employment laws.<\/p>\n<p>Back in December, former <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/biden-administration\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Biden administration<\/a> Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar led an amicus brief <a href=\"https:\/\/www.supremecourt.gov\/DocketPDF\/23\/23-1039\/335322\/20241216192608136_23-1039_Ames_Amicus_Brief_iso_Vacatur.pdf\">in support<\/a> of the department, arguing, &ldquo;The district court did not apply the &lsquo;background circumstances&rsquo; requirement to Ames&rsquo;s claim that she was demoted because she is a woman.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>A coalition of civil rights organizations, including the NAACP, argues that courts must consider the history of systemic inequality in employment discrimination cases. &ldquo;Majority-group plaintiffs cannot rely on the same legacy of discrimination to support their claims,&rdquo; their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.supremecourt.gov\/DocketPDF\/23\/23-1039\/340103\/20250124134517265_23-1039%20Amicus%20Brief%201%20FLAT.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">amicus brief<\/a> states. The NAACP contends that eliminating the background circumstances rule could make it harder to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/supreme-court-rejects-virginia-suit-over-race-in-high-school-admission-policy\/\" title=\"... dismisses Virginia ... on ... in high school admissions\">address long-standing disparities<\/a> in hiring and promotion.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What stands to change if Ames wins?<\/h2>\n<p>A ruling in favor of Ames could make it significantly easier for nonminority employees to bring viable discrimination complaints against employers, depending on the circumstances of their claims.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/technology\/3329751\/apple-shareholders-reject-overhauling-dei-programs-illegal-discrimination\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"APPLE SHAREHOLDERS REJECT OVERHAULING DEI PROGRAM'S 'ILLEGAL DISCRIMINATION'\">APPLE SHAREHOLDERS REJECT OVERHAULING DEI PROGRAM&rsquo;S &lsquo;ILLEGAL DISCRIMINATION&rsquo;<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In turn, a favorable ruling for Ames could potentially reshape workplace diversity initiatives and make DEI policies more legally vulnerable, as conservative groups saw as a logical next step with the undoing of affirmative action for college admissions two years ago.<\/p>\n<p>With the Supreme Court&rsquo;s conservative majority having already dismantled affirmative action in college admissions,&nbsp;<em>Ames v. Ohio<\/em>&nbsp;could become another defining decision in the legal battles over race, gender, and workplace discrimination.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_24824\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"playlist\":\"24824\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Supreme Court hears case on reverse discrimination affecting DEI<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2633,"featured_media":2406801,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/AP25051738283320.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[33274,33211,51112,32275,32076],"class_list":["post-2406800","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-civil-rights","tag-legal-news","tag-reverse-discrimination","tag-supreme-court","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/AP25051738283320.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2406800","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2633"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2406800"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2406800\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2406804,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2406800\/revisions\/2406804"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2406801"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2406800"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2406800"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2406800"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}